“A minister was delivering a tedious and
lengthy address at a local charity. He was running long over time. The master
of ceremonies tried to signal to him to stop, but without success.
Finally, in
desperation, he picked up the gavel, aimed and threw, but missed the minister
and hit a man in the front row. The man slumped down, and as he slipped into
unconsciousness, he was heard to say, "Hit me again! I can still hear him
preaching!" from Bible Illustrator.
“The story is
told of a clergyman who was far more at home on the hunting field than in the
pulpit. On the morning of a meet, he was much annoyed at having to officiate
at a funeral, but this over; he mounted his horse and started in pursuit of
his friends. On the road, he sought information of an old woman with a
donkey-cart. "Well," she said, "if you ride to the top of the
hill, you will come to a minister, then if you turn to the right, you will be
likely to come up with them." Handing her a shilling, he said: "My
good woman, why do you call the sign-post a minister?" Why, you see, sir,
its like this: we used to call them sign-posts, but since you've been in these
parts we call them ministers, 'cause though they point others the way, they
never go themselves." --London Tidbits
God’s “mission impossible” is to
convert and convince his ministers and, or people to get involved in His
ministry.
Scripture Text:
Jonah 3:10 (NIV) When God saw what they did and how they turned from
their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction
he had threatened. 4:1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He
prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at
home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a
gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who
relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is
better for me to die than to live." 4 But the LORD replied, "Have
you any right to be angry?" 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east
of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to
see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and
made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort,
and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God
provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun
rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head
so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better
for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a
right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am
angry enough to die." 10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned
about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up
overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and
twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and
many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Will we
go with the Lord? Where is the
Lord going? What is His mission?
1.
God’s Mission is to seek and to save the lost.
Luke 19:10
Gen. 3:9 (NIV)
But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
When God saw how the people of Nineveh had repented and turned to Him,
he forgave them. If you will turn
from your ways to God’s ways then He will forgive you and you can go to
heaven. He wants to save people
through His people. He wants to
use you.
Jonah’s
mission was to save himself. He
was sure that he didn’t want to go to Nineveh, because he didn’t want to
see those people saved. He didn’t like them and he didn’t want to go.
When God put him in the belly of the big fish, he began to change his
tune. The Lord saved him to go to
Nineveh. Then when the Jonah went
with the Lord to preach to the people, they were all saved from mass
destruction.
What is
our mission?
2.
God’s mission is to love, forgive, and save the people of Nineveh.
The
people of Nineveh heard the message, listened to the Lord, and followed His
warning. They repented of their
sin and gave their lives to God. Their
lives would never be the same. God
forgave them and forgot their sin. He
didn’t punish them but he gave them new life.
God’s mission is to give people life and keep them from dying. God is
angry with People’s sin, but makes a way for them to repent and come home.
Jonah’s
mission was to continue in his own evil attitudes.
Even after spending three days and nights in the whale of a belly he
continues to be unforgiving and unloving of the people of Nineveh.
Rejoice Jonah! Why
doesn’t he celebrate the great revival?
He should love them because the Lord loves them and has sent Jonah to
them. He didn’t care if any of the Ninevites repented or not.
What is
our mission?
3.
God’s Mission is to show us the reality of life that is eternal.
He is more concerned for the eternal souls of individuals.
There is more to life than meets the mortal eye.
We must look at the world as the Lord does.
This life is just the beginning.
Jonah’s
life mission was focused on the reality of the present, physical world.
He had forgotten the eternal value of the soul.
He was really happy to be set free from the whale and to have the shade
of the vine to give him some shade. But
when he was relieved from the whale He forgot.
When the shade was gone he was more sorrowful over the loss of the vine
than the whole city of people with 120, 000 people who did not know enough to
understand the right from the left.
What is
our mission?
4.
God’s mission is to seek, save, and convert the minister.
God is
patient with those reject Him and those who accept him.
He waits and calls us to come to him and follow his mission for our
lives. Will you follow Him?
God will use whatever means He can to get your attention and convert
you. It may mean a whale or a
vine, but you will be given God’s attention and you will give Him yours. Will you come to Him and go His way? God had patience and love for Nineveh and Jonah.
Jonah’s mission was to run, resist,
and live for himself. God
stopped him with the storm and the big fish.
God taught him with the vine that gave shade. Now the Lord has shown him how valuable are the people?
The Lord has exposed Jonah’s feelings. Will Jonah hear, learn, and
turn to God again? Jonah’s
final response is not given.
What’s
your mission? What
will be your response to hundred’s of people here who are dying without the
Lord? What difference will it
make to them and to you?